April 25, (THEWILL) – At least 118 inmates of the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, Niger State, have escaped, the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) said on Thursday.
Spokesperson of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command of the Service, Adamu Duza, who disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, said the inmates escaped following hours of heavy rainfall which destroyed parts of the facility on Wednesday night.
Duza said 10 of the fleeing inmates have been recaptured and are currently in custody.
The statement read: “A heavy downpour that lasted for several hours on the night of Wednesday, 24 April 2024, has wreaked havoc on the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Suleja, Niger State, as well as surrounding buildings, destroying part of the custodial facility, including its perimeter fence, giving way to the escape of a total of 118 inmates of the facility.
“The Service immediately activated its recapturing mechanisms and in conjunction with sister security agencies has so far recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody, while still in a hot chase to recapture the rest.
“Many of the facilities were built during the colonial era and are old and weak. Efforts are being made to see that all ageing facilities give way to modern ones.
“This is evidenced in the ongoing construction of six number of 3000-capacity ultra-modern custodial centres in all the geo-political zones in Nigeria as well as the ongoing reconstruction and renovation of existing ones.
“The Service wishes to assure the public that it is on top of the situation and that they should go about their businesses without fear or hindrance.
“The public is further enjoined to look out for the fleeing inmates and report any suspicious movement to the nearest security agency.”
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